Thomas County cat. [volume] (Colby, Kan.) 1885-1891, 1887-12-22
A SPARROW CATCHER.

A SPARROW CATCHER.
How Ho Works ut Night and How II
Disposes Of His Queer Game.
Them sparrows has been cusset
hard enough to drive out of tn
country, but they've made me man.
an honest dollar, an I'll take thei
part.
That's what Joe johnson says. an,
he knows what he is talking about
Joe hasn't any visible means of sup
port-in day light. He does his worl
by night He has an assistant and thu
product of his after-dark labors ha
taken the dollars from the pockets o
many an unsuspecting man who treat:
himself to the toothsomc bird. Joe is
sparrow nctter and he is the only
one in the city who follows it as s
money-making business. His hunting
grounds are not in the public squares
nor wooded places near the city. II:
hunts his game chiefly on the sid,
walls of churches. dwclling-houses and
other places where ivy vines climb and
cling.
The sparrow netter's method of pro-
cedure is this: He provides him self
with y scoop net similar to those used
for grabbing, but much larger. He
has put an improvement on the idea.
however. as he has a purse string
through the net some distance below
the ring. The mouth of the net is
about six feet in diameter. The handle
is long enough to enable him to reach
up on the sides of the uncovered
buildings
When Joe reaches spot where he
intends to make Il haul, he reaches ur
his big net until he covers large.
space where the vines are tickest.
While he presses the mouth of the net
close against the wall, his assistant,
with long pole. stirs up the vines.
The disturbed birds fly and futteI
blindly into the net. When he thinks
all arc in Joe pulls the purse string
and inciose his game. Down comes
the net and one after another the
necks of the birds arc wrung. He
then ties them up in bundles of twelve.
deposits them in u basket, and goes on
the next vine.
His catch is running a little light
yet, but last fall he captured as high
rs one hundred and twenty dozen in a
single night. The lack of love Phila-
Ilelphians have for the noisy little
nuisanccs makes it a matter of little
difficulty for Joe to obtain permission
TO trap the sparrows, and the police.
who know his business. never interfere
with them. Where the walls can he
reached from the street lie never asks
any bOdy's permission.
A reporter to whom Joo explain ed
his manner of capturing the sparrOws
,sked him what he did with them.
Sell EN-" answered Joe.
''TO whom?"
''Well. if you promise not totcll any
,ody I'll tell you. I sell 'em to the
for reed birds. CT course
he people that buys 'cm knows what
hey are. You see. real reed birds cost
he restaurants from fifty cents dozen
Up. l sell the sparrcrs to them from
cents 10 thirty-fivc cents. |
to the catch. Ipluck EN- and
tx 'cm up after l take 'em home ut
light. and take 'cm out early in the
morning. l guess if you have eaten
eed bird pot pie. recdles on toast. or
my other way. you must have eaten
ONE of my catch. There hain't much
Inference in the taste. an durn me il
wouldn't rather eat a sparrer any
ow. There's one dish the sparrcrs
make better than recdics, an they are
used for it. You take Il
otater an split it. an scoop out jest
nough of the potater to make hole
arge enough to put the sparrer in.
'efore you put the bird in put an oys-
er inside O him. Shut your potater
p, tic string around it. and bake it.
you only had ten dollars. an each
otater filled with sparrer cost dollar.
ou'd eat your ten dollars out if you
cgan onct. Oh, yes ! make plenty
money while the sparrers arc get
ing ready to quit the town. But the
eason's short Don't for goodness
AXE tell them hash-house people that
told you this thing. or ] can't sell
,cm any more sparrers. -PailadelpAia
'eWS.